Grafham Water - 8 December 2012

A fairly calm and relatively mild morning after recent hard frosts and a fair variety of species seen between 0700 and 1130.

A Slavonian Grebe off the dam was probably the cream of the crop with plenty of variety in support the best of which were probably; 6 Shelduck, 3 Pintail (1 male), 2 female type Common Scoters, c 76 Goldeneye busy displaying off the Marlow Car Park, 5 Goosanders (2 males), 2 Red-breasted Mergansers both redheads, 8 Grey Partridges, 1 Ringed Plover, 3 Golden Plovers over SW, 6+ Redshanks, 4 Turnstones along the north shore, 1 first-winter Caspian Gull east over the dam; 1 Rock Pipit, 3 Waxwings near the Model Farm and later west over the Marlow car park, a single flock of 70 Fieldfares over west and 1 Chiffchaff - a typical collybita.

Slavonian Grebe off Grafham Dam 8.12.2012

Starling pre-roost Paxton Pits 25 November 2012